Yayyyy... My friends got his show on the Comedy Network!

Peep article + show.....You guys are gonna love this... Its called Keys to the VIP

Published May 25, 2006
Zoo life to TV break
New series on how to pick up women is a go

Leyla Emory for metro toronto

Justin Harding says he always knew he had to pursue a creative career.

What do the Metro Toronto Zoo, picking up girls and TV shows have in common? Justin Harding.

Set to direct a TV show on how to be a player, this full-time zoo employee took the road less travelled and got there quicker.

“I’ve read a lot of stories about how people break into this industry but I’ve never heard a story like mine,” laughs the 25-year-old who started building artificial habitats for zoo animals the day after graduating from Humber College with a film and television degree.

After a year of volunteering his weekends to the Canadian Film Centre, Harding realized the straight and narrow wasn’t for him. “I learned that if you start at the bottom you get marginalized very quickly.... You get categorized and it’s hard to break out of that mold.”

In a profession that’s all about who you know, Harding chose to cut himself off from the industry.

“I was going to develop •••••••s on my own, •••••••s that I would be in creative control of.”

Enter Alen Bubic, a software engineer with an idea for a movie. Bubic and Harding met while the latter was in film school. His new mantra in place, Harding sought out a partner.

“[Bubic] thought it would be smart to start with TV and build a fan base. He suggested a show on a professional league of picking up girls,” explains Harding. “It was a golden idea. I had so much faith in that concept and I knew exactly how to bring it to life.”

Think an alpha-male version of queer eye for the straight guy.

Cut to Chris Greidanus, an editor at •••••••••. After months of shooting at various bars in the city, Greidanus and Harding created the pilot. A hit with production companies, the show has been green-lit by The Comedy Network.

Three years after graduating and still working at the zoo, Harding is on the verge of reaching his goal.

“I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker. I love every aspect — cinematography, editing, grip — but I always knew the only way I would be happy was through pursuing a creative career. A lot of people don’t see that as a viable way to make a living, but if you work hard anything is possible.”